Silicone monocrystal and slices cut from it. (Source: © frog / stock.adobe.com)

A material that has the same, contiguous, intact crystal lattice everywhere. Monocrystals are industrially grown from a melt from which they are gradually pulled out as an ingot. By having no grain boundaries, the monocrystal has unique physical properties. They are often used in optics or photovoltaics, where silicon monocrystals are used to make photovoltaic cells.